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Established 2004

Ruddlesden geotechnical

Ruddlesden geotechnical provides ground investigation, geotechnical consultancy and contamination assessment services.

Based in Exeter, but covering the whole of the UK, albeit primarily concentrated in the South West, Ruddlesden geotechnical was formed in 2004.

Ruddlesden geotechnical works on behalf of a wide client base, including local, regional and national housing developers, housing associations, commercial developers, building contractors, structural and civil engineers, architects, building consultants, quantity surveyors, local authorities and private individuals.

Development projects range from single dwellings and extensions to large housing estates, multi-storey flats, offices, industrial units, roads, slopes, schools, hospitals and basements.

The services and projects listed on this web-site provide an indication of those undertaken by Ruddlesden geotechnical, but others are carried out. If your requirement is not readily identifiable on this web-site, please contact us as we may still be able to help you.

  • AGS
  • Constructionline
  • CSCS
  • SMAS
  • ECFC trust

Latest news

Recent projects

  • Latest news

    16 Apr 2026

    Coastal Slope Stability Assessment

    Geoff Davis has recently been in his element, carrying a slope stability assessment for a holiday park that has recently seen some quite dramatic ground movements.One thing that this project has highlighted is that for all the new technologies that are available to help us understand the ground, including LiDAR, drone surveys, remote sensing and inclinometers, all of which we intend to use on this site, they are of little use if the ground model is not understood. And this understanding of geology and geomorphology only come from a combination of education and experience.It is hoped that our understanding of the landslide processes at this complex site will allow us to predict possible future behaviour and assist in developing a long-term strategy for the future of the holiday park and its management.

    Coastal Slope Stability Assessment
    Coastal Slope Stability Assessment

  • Recent projects

    Foundation Inspections Reduce Construction Costs, East Devon

    Ruddlesden geotechnical are currently undertaking foundation inspections on a plot-by-plot basis for a regional housing developer at a new residential development site in East Devon. The consulting engineer had specified that all foundations be reinforced to accommodate local changes in the ground conditions, identified in the original geotechnical investigation. However, following a reduction in site levels, the majority of footings were to be founded in the relatively more homogenous underlying Dawlish Sandstone Formation and, where not encountered, it was found to be more cost effective to deepen foundations into the Dawlish Sandstone Formation, rather than reinforcing shallower footings, founded in the overlying superficial deposits. Ruddlesden geotechnical are responsible for providing an account of the ground conditions encountered in each foundation excavation and specifying whether further excavation (or reinforcement) is required for each plot.

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  • Recent projects

    Bioaccessibility Testing Negates Remediation

    The chemical laboratory test results obtained as part of a Phase 2 contamination investigation for a proposed residential development in South Devon indicated elevated levels of arsenic to be present in natural soils. A generic qualitative risk assessment (GQRA) showed that all the recorded levels of arsenic exceeded the generic assessment criteria (GAC), indicating that remediation or further assessment was required. Based on the conceptual site model (CSM), as no significantly elevated levels of contamination were expected, but given the underlying geology naturally elevated levels of metals and metalloids may be present, it was considered that further assessment should be undertaken instead of remediation. A detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) was therefore carried out, including additional bioaccessibilitytesting, as the GAC to which the recorded levels of arsenic were initially compared assumes that 100% of the arsenic is bioaccessible, whereas naturally occurring elements are typically not 100% bioaccessible. The bioaccessibility test is a laboratory test that simulates conditions in the gastrointestinal tract to assess the human bioaccessibility of potentially harmful elements by ingestion. As the ingestion pathway is the primary migration pathway for arsenic, the bioaccessibility significantly affects the assessment criteria. The results of the bioaccessibility testing were incorporated into the CLEA, in which the end users were also modified, as the proposed development was for a residential care home rather than a standard residential land use, to produce a site-specific assessment criterion, which was greater than all of the recorded levels of arsenic. It was therefore concluded that the recorded levels of arsenic were not likely to be harmful to end users, given the proposed end use, and that no remediation was necessary. Carrying out this further testing and detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) avoided the need to carry out unnecessary remediation.

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